Kick in the door!

Yes folks, it’s time for Munchkin!

This is only going to be a small blog, apologies in advance – I’ve been feeling awful all weekend, and it hasn’t improved yet. Anyway! I thought I’d take some time to wax lyrical about Munchkin, the delightful tongue-in-cheek parody on roleplaying games. It’s really a lot of fun – let me demonstrate…

You play a hero delving into a dungeon, fighting monsters in search of loot. Your aim is to get from level one to level ten, and you gain levels mainly by fighting monsters, though you can sell your treasures, and also steal from other players. This last really shows where the gameplay thrives: you’re in a race to beat your fellow players, so if you can stab them in the back and get there first, then do it!

There aren’t just monsters in the door deck, however. You can get Class and Race cards, as well as “event”-style cards that you can use for a variety of effects. For instance, if someone is beating a monster a bit too easily, you can modify that monster’s stats to make it more difficult for them. Curses also lurk in the door deck, and can ruin your strategy by removing your stuff. You actually have a hand of door cards, so you can play Curses on your fellow players, and all that jazz.

Ah, fabulous!

Once you beat a monster, you’ll get a class or two, and also a number of treasures. Wonderful!

Treasures are all good stuff that will give you bonuses when you’re fighting monsters – your combat stats are based on your level plus your stuff, which is why Curses are so awful! In keeping with the absolute whimsy of this game, treasures have some of the most hilarious items you will ever see in tabletop gaming – I mean, the Tuba of Charm! It’s just so wonderful!

I’ve not had the opportunity to play a lot of Munchkin, but it’s a game that I’d like to get to the table more. If you need anything else to convince you, take a look at Wil Wheaton’s tabletop:

Bonus!

Sandeep Parikh and Felicia Day together again! Colleagues from The Guild, of course, where this game had a starring role in season five. In turn, Steve Jackson Games brought out The Guild expansion pack for the game. All our favourite characters appear, between both doors and treasures, adding another great dimension to the game!